As part of the local response to Refugee Week, some 45 Ukrainian nationals attended a morning tea at St Mary’s Cathedral Parish Centre on Saturday 18 June, thanks to the generosity of the Cathedral Parish and Fr Sean.
Most of the new arrivals are seeking asylum in Australia and hope to receive legal status as refugees in the next few months.
The event was organised by the WA Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (WACMRO), with Director, Deacon Greg Lowe praising the Federal Government for creating a simple process to enable displaced persons from Ukraine to receive legal status as refugees.
“While they wait for asylum to be granted, numerous supports have also been made available,” Deacon Greg explained.
“This will reduce the stress levels, enabling them to process and come to terms with what has happened to them,” he said.
As part of the morning tea, WACMRO partnered with Red Cross to present information to the newly arrived displaced persons regarding the options available to them while their refugee status is being decided.
Members of the Ukrainian Catholic community acted as interpreters for the event including, St John the Baptist Maylands Parish Priest, Fr Ihor Holovko and the Community Liaison Officer, Lynette Paraszczyn.
Deacon Greg explained that the Displaced Persons Rapid Response Support and gave information on work rights for visa-holders.
Liza Beinart, who is the Red Cross Lead for Migration, led an Acknowledgement of Country, a new experience for the participants, before giving information about the settlement process and the benefits of the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP).
Asylum seeker and interpreter Ilina highlighted that the morning tea provided useful and important information.
“This makes us feel welcomed,” Ilina said.
The morning finished with a request from the group for further information sessions.